The new cultivar is the result of a planned breeding program of Begonia rex. The new variety originated from the crossing of the female parent, the unpatented variety of Begonia rex ‘Valentine’ with the pollen parent, the unpatented variety Begonia hatacoa. The crossing was made in September of 2004, by the inventor. The new variety was discovered by the inventor, Antoon Hoefnagels, a citizen of the Netherlands, in the summer of 2005 at a commercial greenhouse in Lent, the Netherlands.
After selecting and isolating the new cultivar, asexual reproduction of the new cultivar ‘Salsa’ was first performed in the same commercial greenhouse by vegetative cuttings in the winter of 2005. ‘Salsa’ has since produced several generations and has shown that the unique features of this cultivar are stable and reproduced true to type.